Alice Salomon Hochschule Berlin

Year of foundation: 1899
Approx. number of students: 1,900
Period of study: Early October-End February; Early April-Mid July
MCI partner since: 2005

The City

Berlin is the capital city of Germany. With a population of 3.4 million within its city limits, Berlin is also the country's largest city. After World War II, the city was divided; East Berlin became the capital of East Germany while West Berlin became a Western exclave, surrounded by the Berlin Wall from 1961-1989. Following German reunification in 1990, the city regained its status as the capital of all Germany.

Berlin is a major center of culture, politics, media, and science in Europe. Its economy is primarily based on the service sector, encompassing a diverse range of creative industries, media corporations, environmental services, congress and convention venues. The city serves as a continental hub for air and rail transport, and is one of the most visited tourist destinations in the EU. Berlin has evolved into a global focal point for young individuals and artists attracted by a liberal lifestyle and modern zeitgeist.

The University

The Alice Salomon University of Applied Sciences Berlin (German: Alice-Salomon-Fachhochschule Berlin, or ASFH) is a vocational university. The university was founded in 1899 by Alice Salomon, a strong advocate for women's rights and social justice. During its early years it was named the "Social School for Women". It admitted only women applicants until 1945. It was renamed the Alice Salomon School in 1932 in commemoration of Salomon's 60th birthday. In 1933, the Nazi Party came to power and Alice Salomon was banned from the school and a large number of instructors of Jewish descent were fired. In 1937, Alice Salomon was expelled from Germany and emigrated to the United States. It was not until 1954 that the school reinstated the name "Alice Salomon School".

The Alice-Salomon University is now Germany's oldest and largest training institution of higher education in social work. It is recognized as one of Germany's most research-intensive universities of applied sciences in the social field. One of the cornerstones of the University is applied research.

The modern university building is situated in the district of Berlin named Hellersdorf, nicknamed "Helle-Mitte" (Bright Center). Cooperation between the University and the district of Hellersdorf include community projects involving children and youth and the issue of urban development.